Monthly Archives: November 2013

If you feel like stretching your legs on Thursday morning and you live or work on the island of Oahu, HI, then check out these scheduled races. Thanksgiving day races, or the Turkey Trot, are a great family-fun activity. Burning off some calories in the wee hours of the morning may make scarfing down turkey, dressing and gravy a little easier on the conscience (and the waist band!) later in the afternoon!

Fill your canteen with caffeine, put on your most comfortable walking shoes, grab your reusable shopping bags, stuff some snacks in your car, and get ready for the 2013 Black Friday and Ciber Monday sales! There are several brick-and-mortar stores and online sites that are offering significant savings over the holiday weekend, some in addition to normal military discounts – so be sure to do your research and always ask “do you offer a military discount?”

Determining where your military-family lifestyle will unfold is a complex issue. For one thing, the soldier tends to have little say in the matter, other than perhaps ranking his or her preferences for the next duty location. For another, your active duty spouse’s permanent change of station (PCS) orders can change annually or every few years. The determining factor is “what does the military need and where?” Continue reading →

The rollout of commissary ID scanning was scheduled to begin at the Schofield Barracks commissary December 02, 2013; however it has been indefinitely postponed due to system difficulties. Once it is rolled out, this process will be similar to what you’re already used to at the door to verify your eligibility to shop at the commissary. Except now, at check-out your ID card will be scanned at the register, in addition to your photo being confirmed with your identity. If you do self check-out the attendant will have to verify your photo matches your identity.

The information collected and managed by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) includes card ID number, rank, military status, branch of service, age, household size, and ZIP codes of residence and duty station, in addition to a record of what products/items were purchased. Your name, address and phone number are not collected. This information will be used to generate demographic and sales data across a broad field (not on an individual basis) to better understand what items and in what quantities are in demand at the commissary. For more information, refer to the blog on Military ID Scanning at Commissaries to Commence.

Instead of getting irritated every time my mail box is stuffed with a coupon circular that I did not request to receive, and instead of stubbornly calling all of them to demand to be removed from their mailing list, I decided to figure out what kind of savings could really be had by coupon-clipping.

Groceries, home goods, construction goods, baby stuff, vehicle items – they ALL have coupon options! I had not realized how useful coupons could be. I’ve glanced through those coupon papers before and it seemed like the coupons were mostly for things I did not shop for in any case. I was wrong; think about the savings on doubling, or even tripling, coupons for everyday use items like toilet paper, toothpaste and deodorant. So, what’s my suggestion? Clear a storage shelf in your house or garage, clip and sort your coupons, and plan your shopping trips accordingly! Read on for a how-to on Couponing for Beginners.

Every year we commemorate certain military engagements. Though these events do provide us with a fun excuse for days off from work (if you’re lucky!), parades, junk food, music and fireworks, the purpose of these occasions is to remind us all of the sacrifices made by the military and civilian populations of the era and the lessons learned. Continue reading →

We assume so many things about our every day life, mostly I think because there just isn’t time to decipher everything and still function properly, that sometimes it takes being asked a simple question to stop you in your tracks and force you to become more informed. I was recently asked “What IS a military installation?” and as I fumbled for a response, I realized my best answer was “I don’t know…”

I have a sense of what a military installation is – because I’ve lived, shopped, swam, done cross fit, used the post office, volunteered and received medical treatment there, and my active duty spouse works and trains there. So, a military installation is obviously an office complex, a shopping mall, a medical center, a rec center and a spa… Right? Realizing my answer was inadequate, and basically defined any city, I went in search of the answer only to find that there isn’t one. Continue reading →

The holiday season is upon us, a time for gathering together, thankfulness, and expressions of friendship and love. We have been invited to a neighborhood Thanksgiving Day celebration and though each family will bring a dish to contribute to the potluck affair, I never like to enter a private home, for any occasion, without providing the host/hostess a small token of my appreciation. Even if a host/hostess does not prepare every dish, he/she still has opened their home and has probably spent hours shoving clutter into closets and cleaning house. A nice way to provide a personal gesture of appreciation, without breaking the bank, is to make a Fall Hostess Gift in a Jar Recipe. My favorite this time of year is Oatmeal Spice Cookie Mix. Read on for the recipe, decorating tips and photos.

So, what are your options for veterinary care on post and off post? I opt for registering my pets with the on-post veterinary treatment facility (VTF) as soon as I arrive (PCS) at a new post AND registering them at an off-post, private veterinary clinic. In this way, I can schedule my routine pet appointments, like vaccines and annual exams, at the military vet (and save some major mula) and for those random petastrophies, if the military vet’s schedule is too full, I call my private vet – who already has my pet’s file – and schedule an appointment. A private vet is also good if you plan to utilize boarding services or if your pet requires specialty or continuous care treatments. Continue reading →

With baby numero uno on the way, I’ve been stocking up on household items (think TP, dry goods, cleaning supplies, pet food) to avoid any unnecessary road trips immediately following baby’s arrival, and I’ve been running all over town picking up one item at this store, one at that store, which is draining not only my gas tank but also my patience. So, I thought to myself “why not see what a little online shopping can do?” Continue reading →